By JOAN NWAGWU

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has expressed concern over salary shortfalls and inconsistencies in payment of third-party deductions of various universities and Inter-University Centres in the country.

Mr Mohammed Ibrahim, SSANU President, made the disclosure in a communique issued at the 50th Regular National Executive Council meeting of the union on Sunday in Abuja.

Ibrahim said the inconsistencies of the payment have become worrisome.

According to him, the union recorded cases of salary shortfalls and inconsistencies in the payment of third-party deductions of various universities and inter-university centres.

“Further enquires unearth that, on migration to the GIFMIS platform, some universities have started shortchanging their staff by paying incomplete salaries.

“Also, the withholding of third party deductions in the name of salary shortfalls, in flagrant disobedience of financial regulation,” he said.

He said NEC unanimously resolved that government should ensure that N50 billion earlier appropriated for Earned Allowance should be recaptured in the 2025 budget, requesting that other pending allowances should also be released without further delay.

“NEC further frowns at the non-payment of the arrears of our 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary increment for federal universities, inter-universities centres and some state universities.

“NEC appeals to the Federal Government through the Minister of Education, Dr Olatunji Alausa, to as a matter of seriousness, facilitate the payment of our remaining two months salaries and the third party deductions,” he said.

Ibrahim also condemned the alleged incessant cases of sexual abuse in the university system.

He added that SSANU would ensure close monitoring of the developments, adding that anything short of justice for the sexually harassed members of the union would be unacceptable.

“NEC also calls on state governments to do the needful as it concerns the payment of arrears of the last reviewed minimum wage and bring workers in state universities up, to be at par with their counterparts in Federal Universities,” he said. (NAN)